Movies have long glamorized the world of gunslingers, bank robbers, and wise guys, tapping into our fascination with those who live outside the law. Crime stories have been captivating audiences since before cinema existed, and they quickly became a staple genre in film. For those eager to dive into a world ruled by tough individuals who make their own laws, we've compiled a list of the best mafia movies of all time.
Organized crime, largely a phenomenon of the 20th century, naturally became a popular subject in movies, evolving alongside the growth of mob syndicates across the nation. Filmmakers such as Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese have become legends in this genre, while other acclaimed directors have also ventured into mafia storytelling, producing exceptional works.
Our list below includes a mix of films based on real-life mobsters and the law enforcement officers who pursued them, as well as purely fictional tales designed to entertain and enthrall. Here are our selections for the 15 best mafia movies ever, presented in no particular order.
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Image credit: Warner Bros.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Writer: Martin Scorsese, Nicholas Pileggi | Stars: Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta, Joe Pesci | Release Date: September 19, 1990 | Review: IGN's Goodfellas review | Where to Watch: Included with HBO Max subscription, rent from Amazon, Apple TV, and most platforms
We kick off with Martin Scorsese's masterpiece, Goodfellas, which has been a top contender for the best mob movie for over 30 years. This film, often hailed as the best non-Godfather mob movie, stars Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta, and Joe Pesci, with Pesci winning the Best Supporting Actor Oscar. Goodfellas chronicles the rise and fall of mob associate Henry Hill (Liotta) across several decades, based on Nicholas Pileggi's biography, Wise Guy. It showcases some of the finest work from its cast and crew, leveraging the iconic status of Scorsese and De Niro to elevate Liotta and Pesci.
Image credit: Sony Pictures
Director: Mike Newell | Writer: Paul Attanasio | Stars: Al Pacino, Johnny Depp, Michael Madsen | Release Date: February 28, 1997 | Review: IGN's Donny Brasco review | Where to watch: Rent from Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, and more
Another film rooted in reality, Donnie Brasco, directed by Mike Newell, dives into the life of an FBI agent deep undercover in the Bonanno crime family. Johnny Depp portrays Agent Pistone, alias "Donnie Brasco," while Al Pacino delivers a compelling performance as Lefty, a seasoned but fading enforcer who unknowingly mentors Pistone. Based on Pistone's autobiography, the movie offers a cool and engaging take on the mafia world, distinct from typical mob films.
Image credit: A24
Director: J. C. Chandor | Writer: J. C. Chandor | Stars: Oscar Isaac, Jessica Chastain, David Oyelowo | Release Date: December 31, 2014 | Where to watch: Rent from Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, FlixFling, and more
A more recent addition to the genre, A Most Violent Year, though less known, is a standout. Starring Oscar Isaac and Jessica Chastain, the film focuses on Abel Morales, a trucking company owner trying to navigate the corrupt environment of 1981 New York City, the year known for its unprecedented violence. This thriller is a thoughtful exploration of morality within a corrupt business landscape, featuring a strong supporting cast including David Oyelowo, Alessandro Nivola, and Albert Brooks.
Image credit: 20th Century Fox
Director: Joel Coen | Writer: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen | Stars: Gabriel Byrne, Marcia Gay Harden, John Turturro | Release Date: September 22, 1990 | Where to watch: Rent from Amazon, Apple TV, and more
The same year as Goodfellas, the Coen brothers delivered Miller's Crossing, a unique take on organized crime set during Prohibition. This film noir-inspired movie follows Tom (Gabriel Byrne), an Irish mob lieutenant caught between warring factions. With its stylized dialogue and performances, Miller's Crossing helped launch Byrne's career in the U.S. and introduced audiences to future Coen brothers' star, John Turturro.
Image credit: Universal Pictures
Director: Martin Scorsese | Writer: Martin Scorsese, Nicholas Pileggi | Stars: Robert DeNiro, Sharon Stone, Joe Pesci | Release Date: November 22, 1995 | Review: IGN's Casino review | Where to watch: Stream with AMC Plus, rent from Amazon, Apple TV, and more
Another Scorsese classic, Casino reunites Goodfellas stars Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci, this time in a story inspired by the non-fiction book Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas by Nicholas Pileggi. De Niro's character, Ace, is based on casino owner Lefty Rosenthal, while Pesci's Nicky mirrors enforcer Tony Spilotro. The film traces their journey from partners to rivals, with Sharon Stone delivering an Oscar-nominated performance as the woman who drives them apart. Despite following Goodfellas, Casino stands tall on its own merit.
Image credit: Miramax
Director: Fernando Meirelles, Kátia Lund | Writer: Bráulio Mantovani | Stars: Alexandre Rodrigues, Leandro Firmino Da Hora, Jonathan Haagensen | Release Date: August 30, 2002 (Brazil) | Review: IGN's City of God review | Where to watch: Rent on Amazon, Apple TV, and more
Venturing outside American cinema, City of God is a powerful Brazilian crime drama that captures the rise of organized crime in Rio de Janeiro's Cidade De Deus suburb from the 1960s to the 1980s. Based on real events, the film's raw authenticity is enhanced by its cast of non-professional actors from Rio's low-income neighborhoods. Directed by Fernando Meirelles and Kátia Lund, it inspired a spin-off TV series and film, City of Men.
Image credit: Paramount Pictures
Director: Brian De Palma | Writer: David Mamet | Stars: Kevin Costner, Charles Martin Smith, Andy Garcia | Release Date: June 3, 1987 | Review: IGN's The Untouchables review | Where to watch: Paramount+, Hoopla, or rentable on most platforms
Brian De Palma's The Untouchables is a thrilling, slightly stylized take on the battle between Eliot Ness (Kevin Costner) and Al Capone (Robert De Niro) in 1930s Chicago. This action-packed film showcases Ness assembling his team of incorruptible lawmen to take down the notorious Capone. Sean Connery's performance as a seasoned cop who joins Ness's fight earned him a Best Supporting Actor Oscar.
Image credit: Warner Bros. Pictures
Director: Martin Scorsese | Writer: William Monahan | Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson | Release Date: October 6, 2006 | Review: IGN's The Departed review | Where to watch: Rent on Amazon and most platforms
A remake of the Hong Kong thriller Infernal Affairs, The Departed is set in Boston and loosely based on the life of crime boss Whitey Bulger. The film follows two cops, one rising in the force as Bulger's mole (Matt Damon) and the other working undercover within Bulger's organization (Leonardo DiCaprio). With Jack Nicholson playing Bulger, the film is a complex, engaging thriller featuring a strong ensemble cast, including Vera Farmiga, Mark Wahlberg, Martin Sheen, Alec Baldwin, and Ray Winstone.
Image credit: Focus Features
Director: David Cronenberg | Writer: Steven Knight | Stars: Viggo Mortensen, Naomi Watts, Vincent Cassel | Release Date: September 14, 2007 | Review: IGN's Eastern Promises review | Where to watch: Paramount+, rentable on most platforms
In the 2000s, Viggo Mortensen starred in two notable crime films directed by David Cronenberg, A History of Violence and Eastern Promises, both of which could have made this list. We've selected Eastern Promises, where Mortensen plays a Russian mob enforcer in London navigating the dangerous dynamics between his boss (Armin Mueller-Stahl), his boss's volatile son (Vincent Cassel), and a midwife (Naomi Watts) trying to protect a baby. The film is memorable, in part, for its intense bathhouse fight scene.
Image credit: Paramount Pictures
Director: Francis Ford Coppola | Writer: Francis Ford Coppola, Mario Puzo | Stars: Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan | Release Date: March 24, 1972 | Review: IGN's The Godfather review | Where to watch: Stream on Paramount+, or rent on Amazon and most platforms.
Many consider The Godfather to be the pinnacle of mob movies, though some argue for its sequel. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola and based on Mario Puzo's novel, this film broke box office records and became the biggest film of 1972. Starring Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall, and Diane Keaton, it follows the Corleone family under patriarch Vito Corleone (Brando) and the transformation of his youngest son, Michael (Pacino), into a ruthless mob boss.
Image credit: Paramount Pictures
Director: Francis Ford Coppola | Writer: Francis Ford Coppola, Mario Puzo | Stars: Al Pacino, Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton | Release Date: December 20, 1974 | Review: IGN's The Godfather Part 2 review | Where to watch: Stream on Paramount+ and FuboTV, or rent on Amazon and most platforms.
Competing with its predecessor for the title of the best mob movie, The Godfather Part 2 continues the saga, serving as both a sequel and prequel. It follows Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) as the new Don, dealing with betrayal, while also tracing his father Vito's (Robert De Niro) rise from his Sicilian origins to founding the family's criminal empire in New York. Also starring Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton, Talia Shire, and John Cazale, this film is a landmark in cinema.
Image credit: DreamWorks Pictures
Director: Sam Mendes | Writer: David Self | Stars: Tom Hanks, Paul Newman, Jude Law | Release Date: July 12, 2002 | Review: IGN's Road to Perdition review | Where to watch: Paramount+, or rentable on most platforms
Based on a graphic novel, Road to Perdition blends unlikely elements into a compelling mob story. Directed by Sam Mendes, the film stars Tom Hanks as Michael Sullivan, an Irish mob enforcer, who goes on the run with his son (Tyler Hoechlin) after his boss's son (Daniel Craig) murders their family. Featuring strong performances from Paul Newman and Jude Law, the film is visually stunning and emotionally powerful, unfolding like a graphic novel come to life.
Image credit: United Artists
Director: Howard Hawks | Writer: W.R. Burnett, John Lee Mahin, Seton I. Miller, Ben Hecht | Stars: Paul Muni, Ann Dvorak, Osgood Perkins | Release Date: April 9, 1932 | Where to watch: Rent on Amazon and most platforms
While the 1983 remake starring Al Pacino is well-known, the original Scarface, directed by Howard Hawks, is a landmark film inspired by the life of Al Capone. This pre-Hays Code movie features Paul Muni as Tony Camonte, a gangster who rises through the ranks in Chicago and falls for his boss's mistress. With its stylish visuals and gripping violence, Scarface has stood the test of time, blending historical significance with genre excellence.
Image credit: Netflix
Director: Martin Scorsese | Writer: Steven Zaillian | Stars: Robert DeNiro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci | Release Date: November 1, 2019 | Review: IGN's The Irishman review | Where to watch: Netflix
A fourth Scorsese film on our list, The Irishman is a Netflix original that delves into themes of regret and loneliness, often compared to Unforgiven for its portrayal of the mafia life's unglamorous end. Robert De Niro plays a truck driver turned hitman for a mobster (Joe Pesci) and their involvement with Teamster Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino). Based on the book I Heard You Paint Houses, the film explores the costs of the mafia lifestyle, showing mobsters as sad, aging men rather than glamorous figures.
Image credit: Universal Pictures
Director: Ridley Scott | Writer: Steven Zaillian | Stars: Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe, Josh Brolin | Release Date: November 2, 2007 | Review: IGN's American Gangster review | Where to watch: Starz Apple TV Channel, rentable on most platforms.
Ridley Scott's American Gangster stars Denzel Washington as Harlem drug lord Frank Lucas, who uses the Vietnam War to smuggle heroin into the U.S. Russell Crowe plays Newark Detective Richie Roberts, leading the effort to bring Lucas down. With exceptional performances from its leads, the film is an intelligent and gripping exploration of crime and justice, also featuring Josh Brolin, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Ruby Dee, Ted Levine, and Cuba Gooding Jr.
AnswerSee ResultsThose are our picks of the best mafia movies ever – in no particular order. Did your favorite make the cut? If not, rather than leaving a horse head in our bed, let us know your top picks in the comments.
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